Shadows of a Forgotten Past
by Kurimzon
Summary: A horrid secret kept hidden for centuries. A man betrayed by the people who he once loved, is out seeking revenge. A story in where allies are made and bonds are broken. Follow Fairy Tail in this brand new adventure as they learn more about their guild's past and what the second master was really like in order to stop a threat that's a little too close to home.


**A/N: No, I'm not dead! I've just taken some time off to refocus on myself and properly plan out my story before writing again. I know I've re-uploaded this plenty of times, but I think I've finally found the best way to start off this story. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and as always, your comments and criticisms are always welcome!**

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 **Fairy Tail: Shadows of a Forgotten Past**

 **Prologue**

 _ **Minstrel**_

They say that the longer you live, the more accustomed you become to the harsh reality of the world. But no matter how many times I've seen it, I can never bring myself to accept it.

I opened the door and stepped into the main hall. The room was dark, the faint glow of the night sky through the windows being the only source of light. I scanned the blackness in front of me, allowing my eyes to adjust to my dark surroundings. I could see the faint outlines of shapes and figures, but nothing really definitive. I looked around again. Something was off. Besides the ominous lack of light, I had been standing out in the open for a good while, yet there was not a single reaction to my presence. What's more is that the entire room was covered in a heavy silence. It was so quiet that I could hear the beating of my own heart echoing from within my chest. Was I walking straight into a trap? Cautiously, I took a step forward and that's when it hit me. The musty, metallic scent of blood invaded my nose, completely overwhelming my sense of smell. I instinctively raised my arm to my face.

 _There's so much._

With my free hand, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a flat stone with an engraving on the front. I tossed it and watched as it disappeared into the black abyss, only for seconds later to hit the ground somewhere with a _thump_.

" _Lümino._ "

From within the darkness, the stone beginning to glow. The yellow light became brighter and brighter, bringing forward the things that hid within the shroud of emptiness. My eyes went wide as the beating of my heart stopped and sank to the bottom of my chest.

The hall was a mess. Tables and chairs had been thrown across the room, shattering into hundreds of wooden splinters. Shards of glass covered the floor, threatening to cut deeply into the soles of any unsuspecting person. Weapons varying from small daggers to broad swords were hilt up, their pointed ends dug into the fixtures in which they stood. Then, I saw them. Throughout the hall were the bludgeoned, brutally mangled bodies of the guild's inhabitants, scattered in disarray. Many were without limbs, and many limbs were without bodies. Entrails lie on the floor, exposed from those who had been hacked into pieces. However, the worse was not those with blood flowing from open wounds, but those that were without. They had succumbed to some type of poison, their skin turned a deep shade of violet. Massive bumps protruded from various parts of their bodies and grotesque veins bulged and pulsed from underneath their skin. Every single one of their faces was frozen in a twisted, painful agony.

"Ryo? We're coming in!"

Four others in tattered cloaks stepped inside. I could see their expressions of shock and utter horror as they stared at the massacre before them.

"Holy shit…"

Quinn knelt down and placed his hand on a nearby corpse. "This wasn't too long ago. They're still warm."

I pulled down my hood. "Search the building. We need to know what happened here."

"I'll keep watch." Ahri said and she quickly stepped outside.

Like looters scavenging a field, we began scouring through the remains of the recently deceased. I maneuvered myself through the endless sea of dead. Men, women, young, and old, not a single person was spared. I clenched my hand in frustration.

 _Who could do something so cruel?_

I felt something soft give way under my foot. I looked down to see that I had stepped on a doll. It was a simple thing, sown of sackcloth with black beaded eyes, golden hair and a white dress. Parts of the doll had turned red, including some of the stuffing, which had found its way out from a cut above the shoulder. I felt a chill course through my entire body as I bent down to pick it up.

 _There were children here?_

"Guys!"

I turned towards the sound of the voice. In the furthest back corner was Theia. She had her hood down, and was on the ground kneeling next to a man. Her hands were covered in a green aura as they pressed up against his body. I hurried over to her with Alex and Quinn following close behind.

"Is he alive?" I asked.

"Barely. I'm doing the best I can but…" She lifted the man's shirt, revealing a gaping wound in his side. "I don't think he'll make it."

"I see…" I looked down at the man. He opened his eyes and looked up at me.

"You…you're here for the artifact, aren't you…?" He let out a strained cough.

"Can you tell us what happened here?"

"…It was peaceful at first. There were these people who came here on a request that an item had been stolen and the owner would like it back. We had no idea what they were talking about. They said they were certain we had it, and kept on asking for it over and over again. They became angry, calling us thieves and robbers, accusing us of trying to keep it so that we could make money off it. After that…everything went straight to hell."

"How many were there?"

"Three…three of them."

"What did they take?"

"An amulet, black, with a gem in the center."

I looked around at the group. No one said a word, but the expressions on their faces told me that they were thinking the same thing I was. Without a doubt, the amulet the man had described fit the description of the very same amulet we were looking for.

"Do you know where they went?" I asked in a more urgent tone.

"The country in the North West. They said the next one was…" He gripped at his side, wincing in pain.

I looked up at the others. "Go. I'll catch up with you guys soon."

"Hold on a second." Alex said, stepping forward. "Are you really sure that's a good idea? For all we know, they could still be out there, waiting for us. It would put us at a disadvantage if we were to split up."

"I'll be fine."

Alex's eyes flared with annoyance. "Look around you Ryo! All it took was three people to do all of this! At least have one of us stay with you!" He opened his mouth to protest further until Quinn stepped in, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand your concerns, but we can't waste time arguing here. We have a prime opportunity that we cannot allow to go to waste."

Alex looked back and forth between me and Quinn. After a few tense moments, he finally gave in.

"Alright, I get it!" He said with a huff.

Quinn looked over at me. "We'll track them to the border and wait for you there. We can't risk letting them get too far ahead, so don't be long."

"Understood."

Quinn gave me a nod and hurried after Alex, who had already left. I looked over at Theia, who met my gaze. She let out a reluctant sigh, got up and made her way to the door. Just before leaving, she turned back to look at me.

"You already know what I'm going to say, but please be careful."

I raised my hand in response. Somewhat satisfied, she put on her hood and took off after the others. For a second time that night, I was left on my own. I took a seat next to the man and we sat there in silence, not saying a word to each other. I could hear his shallow breaths leave his lungs in a grim, rhythmic pattern. The shadows on the wall began to grow as the light from the stone slowly began to dim.

"You're still here…?" He finally asked, his voice weak.

"There's a few more things I want to ask you."

The man chuckled. "Out with it then, you don't have much time."

"Earlier, you mentioned the item by name. I want to know how you learned of it and where you found it."

"Just because I know the name doesn't mean I know anything about it."

"Like you said, I don't have much time."

At first, the man remained silent. Then, after a period had past of what I can only assume was him thinking, he finally spoke.

"It was two years ago, on our way back from a trading trip in Bosco. I thought that I could sell the amulet for a good price once we got back to Minstrel. Obviously, that didn't happen. After many failed attempts, I tried throwing it away, and eventually destroying it, but no matter what I did, it always found its way back to me. I learned about it and of the other artifacts through my own research and realized just how dangerous they could be. So, I did the only thing left I could do. I kept it with me and waited for the day that I would be able to rid myself of this curse or pass it on to someone else. And now, that day has finally come, be it for my own selfish desires or cruel fate."

I felt a pang of guilt. The fact was if only we had arrived sooner, we could've prevented this entire thing from ever happening.

"Tell me something," The man paused, a violent blood filled cough escaping from his lungs. "…When a witness to a crime does not say or do anything to stop it, is he as guilty as the criminal?"

"…A question like that doesn't have a straight forward answer," I said, after giving it some thought. "But let me ask you this. Should every witness that refuses to help a victim be branded a criminal just because they value their own life?"

He didn't answer.

"Protecting your own life is not a selfish decision." I continued. "It's human nature. We value life, clinging on to it because we naturally fear the uncertainty of death. However, there are those that have unlocked the courage within themselves to step in and risk their own lives for the sake of others. It doesn't mean that they hold their life at a lesser value, but would rather have others to spend it with than spending it alone." I turned my head towards him. "You've risked the past two years trying to protect all these people on your own. I know you must've had many sleepless nights, many worries and anxieties. You couldn't talk to anyone because you didn't want to burden others with your pain and suffering. Don't undermine yourself because you think you failed. In my eyes, you're a hero and if anyone else were here, I'm sure they would agree with me."

The corners of the man's mouth curved upwards into a small smile and tears began to form in his eyes.

"To give a sob speech like that, you must be good at making people cry."

Even in a situation like this, I couldn't help but grin. Believing he was satisfied with my answer, I went to get up, when I felt a slight tug on my cloak. I looked down to see him holding onto me with one hand and a pair of iron chains in the other.

"Take them. They were with the amulet when I first found it. I couldn't discover their purpose, but maybe you can. They couldn't have just been there for no reason."

I took the chains from the man and shoved them into my pocket. "You've helped us more than you can ever imagine. I promise I'll find the people who did this, you have my word."

The man smiled. "I'll hold you onto that promise… Now, I think it's about time for me to go and find everyone else…"

With that, the man closed his eyes and let out one final breath. I placed two fingers on his neck and an open hand over his mouth and nose, confirming that he had truly passed on. After being met with no response, I brought both of his hands together and placed them gently in his lap.

"May you find eternal peace with the gods of Ishgar." Then, the light died out.

I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Dark clouds had begun to fill the sky and a rush of wind rustled the leaves in the surrounding forest. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean air. I hadn't noticed it, but up until now, my entire body had been trembling.

 _It's just like that day…_

My mind was flooded with hazy memories. The sight and smell of blood, the bodies that littered the ground and the screams of anguish that were my own. The day where I had truly lost everything. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

Now wasn't the time to reminisce

I summoned a sword to my hand and plunged it straight into the ground. The earth beneath me began to rumble and moments later, the entire building erupted into scorching red flames. I could hear the snapping of wood as it succumbed to the intense heat, the smell of burning flesh forever etching itself in my mind. I took out the doll from earlier and gave it a final look before surrendering it to the fire. There was a boom of thunder followed by a crack of lightning and a heavy rain began to fall. I pulled my hood above my head and took off into the night. As the last ray of moonlight was enveloped by the clouds, I realized that after today, there was no turning back. Someone else was out there, gathering the artifacts and made it perfectly clear that they wouldn't let anyone or anything stop them. The fate of the world hung delicately in the balance, threatening to become one sided the moment all of the artifacts were assembled. The countdown until the beginning of the end had begun, and it was a timer that I could not allow to hit zero.


End file.
